Reunited
by diabolical-scholar
Summary: Percabeth. Before LO. What SHOULD have happened. One shot. Read and review, but be gentle, it's my first time. Don't own PJO.


Reunited

"Hey, Seaweed Brain!" That voice. Annabeth's voice. I pictured her face in my head. I could see her long blond hair, her intelligent, gray eyes, and her smooth, flawless skin. I turned around. She hadn't changed. She still looked amazing. "Annabeth!?"

"Who else would it be, a Kindly One?" She called back, smiling. What in Hades was going on? The last time we saw each other we'd argued…again. I just stood there, stunned, while she made her way across the crowded street. She reached me.

"Well, are you going to say hi, or are you going to be as obtuse as always?"

"Hi. What's going on?" For the life of me, I couldn't process the fact that she was standing right in front of me. After months of absolutely _nothing_ from her, she pops up out of nowhere. "What do you mean 'what's going on?' Can't I come and visit my friend every once in a while?" Her voice still had that playful, teasing tone; I haven't heard that since before the quest into the Labyrinth. It's good to hear it again.

"Well, yeah, but…I haven't…you've haven't been – it's just been a long time since we saw each other." I was finally getting over the shock. I started to feel joy; she was here, smiling. I thought that she would be distant. We really hadn't been that happy with each other at the end of camp last year.

"Yeah, it has, but now I'm back. Come on, let's go eat. I'm starving." With that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the nearest fast food joint. I followed. What else was there to do?

* * * * *

"Okay," I said as soon as we sat down. "So seriously, what's going on? Is everything alright at camp? Have there been any attacks from the monsters?" I had talked with Chiron just two weeks ago, so I didn't really expect the war to have revved up just yet. What I really wanted to know what had made her this content, this peaceful.

"Calm down Seaweed Brain. Everything's fine. Well, as fine as it could be." I couldn't stop looking at her. She seemed relaxed, and content. I couldn't understand it. When we'd said our good bye at camp she had been in so much…pain. Over Luke. This change was completely unexpected. What had happened for her to let go of all that hurt? "Then why are you here?" I could see her get that look on her face. The one that said she was annoyed at me for missing an obvious Olympus-sized reason. I've really missed that face. "Can't you guess?" She resumed her playful tone.

"You've always said that my head is full of kelp. Now you expect me to guess why you came to Manhattan to see me. Are you sure this is going to work Wise Girl?" I decided that the best way to get an answer was to play along, so I copied her teasing tone.

"You're right Seaweed Brain. I'm sorry that I thought you were smart enough to figure out why I came out to Manhattan on your own. My mistake," she said, a grin pulling at the corners of her lips. Her beautiful lips. Abruptly, she dropped her joking tone for a more serious one. "I have a few things I want to say to you. If…if you'll hear me out." She glanced at me, and I saw in those intelligent gray eyes how important this was to her.

"Of course I will," I answered quickly.

"Okay. First, I'm sorry for the way I acted after we fought the battle. I wasn't much of a friend an–" I interrupted her. "There's nothing for you to feel sorry about. It was my fault. I'm the one who said all those horrible things. _I'm_ sorry _I_ hurt _you_."

She looked at me gratefully and said "Thank you. But that still doesn't change the fact that you always stood by me, always helped me, and that, in return, I turned my back on you."

I wish that I could deny that, but I couldn't. I had felt betrayed when she just walked away from me at the end of last summer. I guess my emotions showed on my face because Annabeth had to turn her head away.

"I can see it on your face Percy," she said, still not looking my way. "I know I hurt you. I know you still haven't forgiven me. Don't lie, and tell me I'm wrong." My response came fast and true.

"Annabeth, look at me." She did. I grabbed her hand from the table and held it in both of mine. "I _was_ hurt, but you're here now, and that's all I need." I hoped that she could see the truth of _that_ written on my face. I wanted her to see that her reappearance in my life was all that I needed from her. But not all that I wanted. She at least saw the first half of that; the slow smile she gave me proved that, but I don't know about the latter.

"Thank you," she said, still smiling her beautiful smile. Who am I kidding? She could be giving me a death stare and it would still be beautiful to me. Trust me, I know form experience. "That really means a lot to me Percy. Thank you. Second, you were right. You _are_ right." I gave her my usual blank stare. She's never straight with me. Like always, she sees my confusion, rolls her eyes, shakes her head a little, and clears herself up. "About Luke." More than what she said - which was staggering on its own (if what I was thinking was right) – it was how she said it – with calm acceptance – that made me believe her. It also made me believe that she would never really get over Luke's betrayal.

"I'm sorry Annabeth that Luke hurt you this much." That's why I hate Luke so damn much. He hurt _her_. His betrayal caused her so much pain. This, above all else, is why I can't wait to end the war; why I can't wait to send Luke to Tartarus. He _hurt_ her. Before I can say more, she pulls her hand out of my grip and holds it up to stop me from talking.

"Don't be," she whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Seaweed Brain. He's the one who turned his back on...all of us. I know you. You would never do that." She smiles. "I wouldn't let you." Me. That's what she almost said: '_He's the one who turned his back on me_.'

"Anyway, like I said, you are right. I can't keep letting him get to me. The Luke I know has been gone for a long time, but I just didn't want to believe that. I thought that maybe I could somehow save him." She laughs mockingly at herself. A few tears have fallen from her precious eyes and flowed down her supple cheeks. "Hubris, you know." I did know. Deadly pride was Annabeth's fatal flaw. I don't like thinking about anything "deadly" or "fatal" that might affect her.

"So, are you going to be okay?" I ask tentatively. I had to work hard to control my breathing, my facial expressions.

"Yes, I will be okay…but only if you stay by my side Percy." She looks into me eyes. Another tear falls. I move from across the table to the seat next to her. I take both her hands in mine and stare at them. I respond with quiet certitude.

"Don't ever, for a second, believe that I could, or would, _ever _turn my back on you Annabeth Chase." I look into her eyes. "I swear on the River Styx that death will take me before you ever have to even _worry_ about that."

Annabeth looked slightly surprised to hear my promise, but then she smiles. Another tear falls. Without saying anything else, we embrace. I wrap my arms around her tightly and hold her, never wanting to stop. When we separate, something pops into my head and I ask her about it.

"This is why you were so happy at first? You've settled your feelings and know you're happy to move on?"

"That's only half of it. The other half was being back in New York…close to you." She whispers the last part. My chest swells in complete bliss. This time when I lean forward, I move my hand to cradle the back of her head, and rest my forehead on hers. I close my eyes…and kiss the girl of my dreams. She doesn't pull away. We sit there for a while, until we have to pull apart to breath. She rests her forehead on mine. I look into her perfect, stormy gray eyes.

"Annabeth?"

"Yes, Seaweed Brain?"

"Athena is not gonna like this."

"...So?"


End file.
